The Brazilian Rugby Union (CBRu) had yesterday a meeting with the sponsors and media and said they are negotiating a Brazilian franchise in the Currie Cup as soon as 2018 (but it can be 2019, 2020...).

Brazilian rugby fans are less excited than you guys about this. People are afraid that CBRu is creating an abyss between the national team and the clubs. Club rugby is really struggling and needs more attention, from junior rugby to senior. Also, many people is questioning why go to South Africa instead of Argentina? Yesterday the government indicated a cut of 87% on the Ministry of Sport's budget. CBRu released that just 1/4 of its budget comes from public sources, but the financial health of Brazilian rugby is not that stable to do such big expensive step. Not now at least.

Last edited by victorsra on Thu, 21 Sep 2017, 20:20, edited 1 time in total.

SuperSport Rugby Challenge runs from mid-April to mid-July. It would still leave plenty of space in the yearly schedule for club rugby or a competition in Argentina, even though some tweaks would be needed. I don't think CBRu understand this as a long-term solution but rather a way to give an elite core group of players more high-level games.

Armchair Fan wrote:SuperSport Rugby Challenge runs from mid-April to mid-July. It would still leave plenty of space in the yearly schedule for club rugby or a competition in Argentina, even though some tweaks would be needed. I don't think CBRu understand this as a long-term solution but rather a way to give an elite core group of players more high-level games.

The CEO of the CBRu talks about just 8 games in the video victor posted. So its not the SuperSport Rugby Challenge (former Vodacom Cup). Its probably the Currie Cup second division, which goes from 25 August to 20 October. It works better both with the clubs and the national team schedule.

Holy banknotes! Unless the CBRu gets sponsors, I would think they can't afford a tour to South Africa.

They said 74% of their budget is private. But I should check it.

Well, what can we expect from Brazilian national teams next year?

15s - probably they will keep improving, at least in 2018. If we'd have any problems it would be by 2019. Men's 7s - probably expect nothing, it will be a young side far from CBRu's priorities... they are NOT favorites to qualy to San Francisco 2018... I wouldn't be surprised to see them falling to Colombia...Women's 7s - tricky! They will keep being South America's top team and they will be in SF 2018, but if they fail to go back to the WSS I would start to be afraid about their future... good players, good new young faces, but all the sevens system depends on the Ministry's money... at least now.

Brazil is in a place of few options so this may be worth exploring. I guess they consider that asking to enter the a side in the Argentine domestic league (like Uruguay?) would not strengthen them enough, particularly if they also want to use this as a platform for moving towards a professional side (e.g. Super Rugby).

With Brazil's journey to Romania in June we know that their union does not lack ambition. I don't think that there is any easy answer here for how Brazil can progress their game.

It is a private attempt that looks exactly like any of those dozen North American attempts. Let's wait, I'll attend their launching event. The event is NOT the kickoff of the league, it s the launch of the project. MANY questions, starting with "where is the money".